Cubs release former ace Arrieta after rough return

CHICAGO » Jake Arrieta won a Cy Young Award and helped the Chicago Cubs capture a drought-busting World Series championship in his first stint with the club. His second go-round was nowhere near as successful. It ended with his release Thursday.

Arrieta, 35, was informed of the decision a day earlier, after getting tagged for eight runs in a 10-0 loss to Milwaukee, Cubs president Jed Hoyer said. The right-hander was 5-11 with a 6.88 ERA in 20 starts.

“Nothing that happened on the mound last night or the other nights in any way diminishes his role in club history,” Hoyer said. “When you look back, I think there’s a really good argument to say he’s one of the more influential people in the history of this franchise.”

The Cubs also placed catcher Willson Contreras on the 10-day injured list because of sprained right knee.

Arrieta agreed in February to a $6 million, one-year deal. His return to Chicago had a chance to be a feel-good story, but it ended on a rough note. He was 0-7 with a 9.92 ERA in his final 11 starts.

Arrieta was the NL Cy Young Award winner with Chicago in 2015 and helped the Cubs win the 2016 World Series, their first championship since 1908. He went 6831 with a 2.73 ERA in 128 starts over five years and threw two no-hitters during his first stint with the team.

He then signed a $75 million, three-year contract with the Phillies in free agency and went 22-23 with a 4.36 ERA in 64 starts. He had a 4-4 record and a 5.08 ERA in nine starts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks called Arrieta a mentor and said it was tough to see him go.

“The moment I got called up, he kind of took me under his wing a little bit, showed me the ropes, just taught me about the big leagues,” Hendricks said.

Orioles’ Davis retires

BALTIMORE » Chris Davis’ ascent and decline were quick and steep. In between, he was one of baseball’s top home run hitters.

Davis became one of baseball’s most prodigious power hitters before his production dropped amid injury problems during his final seasons with the Orioles. Davis, 35, was going to miss the entire 2021 season after surgery in May to repair the labrum in his left hip.

Next year was the final season of Davis’ $161 million, seven-year contract, a deal that became increasingly burdensome for the rebuilding Orioles.